Ghost-Kissed
by darkwinterfrost
Summary: SPR's latest case has it all: love, betrayal, and deadly secrets. When the gang take on a ghost that seems to target specific people, they never suspected it would mean danger for one of their own…
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Ghost Hunt. If I did…it would have had a more delicious ending lol.**

**So an idea came to me whilst I was staring into my closet and I decided to share it with you. I hope you enjoy!**

**SPR's latest case has it all: love, betrayal, and deadly secrets. When the gang take on a ghost that seems to target specific people, they never suspected it would mean danger for one of their own…**

An eerie stillness filled the air. The giant grandfather clock in the hallway ticked loudly as the large hand made its way toward the eleventh hour. The wind whistled throughout the house, at times sounding like someone crying, and others like a wolf howling to the moon. Floorboards creaked when a slight shift in weight was put upon it. Within the house, a door banged shut forcefully. The candles flickered in the dark, their shadows casting images of dancing creatures on the walls. It raised goose bumps on Mai's arms.

A few days ago SPR had gotten a call about the strange happenings in an abandoned house on the edge of town. It had been recently bought after fifty years of neglect and was still in the process of being furnished when the owner had an unfortunate accident. Her body had been found days later by her sister, her head twisted at an unnatural angle and her body coated in blood. Her wrists had been slashed and so were her ankles. It had all seemed so very ritualistic to Mai but when she'd voiced her opinion it was quickly put to death by Naru.

The family that had asked for their help were angry and confused. They had warned their daughter against buying the old Ichimaru place but she had bought it anyway, believing the hauntings over the years to be stories told by parents to keep their kids out of the house.

Naru, of course, hadn't wanted to take on the case because he felt it was too easy for him and he didn't want to waste his time, (the narcissist), but Mai had agreed on his behalf, and that currently had her waiting in the spare bedroom downstairs that they had turned into their base of operations.

She resented the fact that Naru had told her to wait here and monitor the screens for any activity while he and Masako had a walk through the house to see if the girl could sense any spirits.

Mai gritted her teeth at the thought of the pretty medium putting her hands on Naru. For she would because that's the kind of person she was. It wasn't as if Naru was any more interested in her than he was in Mai but it still grated on her nerves.

The girl was stubborn in her pursuit of Naru and to Mai's chagrin they had even gone out a few times. Of course she couldn't really tell from Naru's demeanour what he felt for the girl. He hardly showed what he was feeling. That made it worse.

"If you keep looking at the screens like that they might crack," Ayako said, sailing into the room behind her. Mai groaned loudly, earning her a glare from the other woman.

"What are you doing here? Didn't Naru ask you to make charms for every room in the house?" she asked, slightly amused by Ayako's reaction.

"For your information, every room has a charm," she grumbled. "I don't see you doing anything useful anyway."

Mai rolled her eyes at Ayako's pettiness. "Whatever, as long as you didn't make a fool of yourself by insisting this is an earth-bound spirit…" Mai trailed off at the blush forming on Ayako's cheeks. For the first time since they started working on this case she let out a genuine laugh.

"It's not that far-fetched," Ayako said, crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her chin up. "It shouldn't be dismissed so easily." She stretched and yawned. "I need a nap. This lack of beauty sleep is not helping my wrinkles. I'm going to make some tea. Do you want some?"

Mai nodded, not really wanting to get into a conversation with Ayako in the middle of one of her mercurial mood swings. She would let Monk be the recipient of it. She chuckled again, figuring he would not be so amused. Once Ayako was gone Mai was left with her morose thoughts again about Naru and Masako.

She grumbled about being left behind when a silver substance flashed quickly across the screen. She sat up quickly, the chair rocking dangerously as she stared hard at the screen. Nothing else moved but she swore it wasn't her imagination playing tricks on her, despite the late hour.

She stared intently at all the screens, her gaze flicking to each one, seeing everything. Suddenly her eyes flew back to one screen. She could see something moving deeper in the darkness. The screen showed the upper hallway toward the rear of the house. She knew Naru and the others were nowhere near it because she could hear them downstairs in the other rooms.

She stood up in her chair slowly as something began to move toward the camera. It was a dark silhouette, small and crouched, moving…no…_crawling_…closer to the camera. It was as if it knew it was being watched.

The blood began pumping in Mai's veins. A cold draft of air whooshed through the room, rustling her hair. She swept the cinnamon strands away from her face impatiently, not wanting to miss the appearance of the silvery figure.

The candle flame flickered, fighting to stay alive, a battle it did not win. Mai spared it a glance as it was going out. The room was plunged into darkness so black it momentarily alarmed her. She took a step toward the door, needing to find a match and bring the room into light again when a slow scratching sounded.

As her heart beat thudded in her chest, she turned to face the screens. The figure slowly, achingly, continued to move forward. A shape began to form, that of a young boy. He was dragging himself across the hardwood floor, the scratching sounds grating on her ears. For the life of her she couldn't tear her eyes away from the grisly sight. His fingernails gripped the boards and pulled his weight forward. Dark splotches covered the tips of his fingers and she soon realised it was blood. She gulped, not truly afraid but scared nonetheless.

When it reached the camera it lifted its head. Mai jerked back violently and bit back a gasp. The boy's milky eyes seemed to stare directly at her. Multiple veins crisscrossed his pale face. Black hair matted his forehead. His lips were broken and chapped. For a moment her world was suspended as she stared at the spirit. His unblinking eyes were beginning to unnerve her. His voice, when he spoke, should have made her feel relief, but instead her hackles rose.

"_Murder_…" came the crackled whisper.

Mai froze sure she was hearing things, but when the whisper came again she wasn't mistaken, for although the image was on the screen, the whisper came from directly behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Ghost Hunt.**

**Thank you for all the reviews! I must admit it's a bit humbling. I didn't know what to expect lol. Please enjoy! **

Mai's scream could be heard a block away. Naru had never felt more terrified. When the first sounds of her shrieks reached him he had immediately dashed down the hallway, desperate to get to her, completely ignoring Masako who was shouting down the hall after him. Couldn't she hear Mai's frightened screams?

"Mai!" Naru shouted, skidding to a stop at the entrance of their base of operations. The room beyond the hallway was in darkness. Within he could hear Mai inhaling sharply, short bursts of air. Without another thought he bounded into the room, heading for the TVs. The screens cast enough light for him to see the empty chair, and no Mai. His heart almost stopped.

"Dammit, Mai, where are you? Answer me."

Suddenly light flared to life behind him, bathing the room in a soft golden glow. Naru spared a brief glance at Monk, who was holding a silver candelabrum. His eyes swept the room and ground to a halt on the figure huddled in the far corner. _Mai_.

Without realising what he was doing he walked over to her and dropped to one knee. "Mai," he said softly, reaching out a hand and placing it gently on her head. _Now is not the time to be noticing how soft her hair is_, he mentally scolded himself.

He could hear her gasping softly, her body trembling with fear. It made something inside of him break. He sat down next to her and drew her into his arms. Although she came willingly she didn't respond to his embrace and he frowned slightly. Mai always had something to say. For her to be this quiet something must have really scared her.

"Those eyes," Mai said softly, startling him from his thoughts. "Those big white eyes. They kept watching me. They kept waiting for me. No, make them stop watching me." Mai closed her eyes and shook her head, moaning softly. "Make him go away."

Naru felt his breath freeze. His hands tightened around Mai's arms. She had seen it. Not it. _Him_. She had seen the spirit. He cast a glance at Masako, wondering how she had failed to pick up on the spirit's presence. Her eyes were downcast, a look of chagrin on her face.

Next his gaze was drawn to Ayako. "Miss Matsuzaki," he started in a low tone. "What was the task entrusted to you?"

Ayako lowered her gaze. Her hands were clasped together in front of her. "I…I was tasked with making charms for every room in the house." Her shoulders drooped even as she spoke, realising her mistake too late. "Naru, I…"

"So how did this room escape your notice?" Naru hadn't raised his voice but Ayako flinched as if he had. She looked devastated and Monk moved forward to slide his arm around her shoulder, offering what little comfort he could. But Naru didn't care. Where Mai was concerned he had no limits. No matter that it hadn't been deliberate; she could have been seriously hurt. She was damned lucky to have escaped unscathed. Or was she?

Naru narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. Mai herself had just said the boy did nothing but sit and watch her, as if waiting for something. Waiting for what? Surely a malevolent spirit wouldn't be that serene. Then his mind flashed back to the images of the previous owner and he had to physically suppress a shudder. He couldn't imagine what he would have done if he had walked in to find Mai sprawled like that, eyes dead to the world.

Naru got to his feet, bringing Mai up with him. By now, Lin and John had joined them and Lin moved forward to sweep Mai up into his arms at Naru's nod. He watched them leave, knowing Mai was in capable hands. The tension didn't leave his frame though. He looked toward Ayako who was already busy scribbling down a charm for the room.

"I sense sadness and pain…so much pain."

Naru barely refrained from rolling his eyes. So Masako finally decided to do something useful. He wiped all emotion from his face and cast her a blank look. She walked further into the room, closer to him. Her hand reached out and touched the wall. She gasped and jerked away falling backwards, so trusting in him to catch her.

He was tempted to just let her fall but the gentleman in him had him lifting his arms to catch her. Her eyes were closed and her hands were clasped tightly over her mouth. "It was horrible," she said quietly. "So much death. This house has seen more tragedy than most." The last part was whispered.

Naru turned his sigh into a nod. He set her back on her feet but her hand came up to grip his bicep anyway. She tucked her head into his chest and then he had to roll his eyes. Since she couldn't see his face or the others she didn't notice Monk slap a hand over his mouth to cover his laughter, or John turning his head to hide his smile.

Really, the girl may be a television star but she wasn't in front of the camera now! As for her usefulness regarding this case…well Naru was still trying to figure that one out. He reasoned that with Mai's astounding ability to attract even the smallest of spirits Masako would become pretty much redundant.

Monk cleared his throat loudly. "Well then, I guess we should continue with what we were doing." John was quick to give his approval. Monk left the candelabrum sitting on the cherry wood coffee table in the middle of the room before departing with John in tow. Ayako was still avoiding Naru's eyes and he didn't blame her. His cheeks flushed as he realised what he must have looked like. He, who never championed anyone, had done the impossible for Mai.

Even now he couldn't believe the lack of control he had when it came to the cinnamon-haired vixen. He wasn't particularly proud of the way she made him forget himself in front of people, and especially in front of these people he considered his friends, though he would never voice that out loud. And she still didn't realise the power she had over him, power he would never admit to.

Masako sighing had him brought swiftly back into the room. Naru coughed into his fist, thinking of a way to get her off him. "Miss Hara, I think you should lie down for a while. This has obviously been very distressful to you. Miss Matsuzaki, would you please escort Miss Hara to your rooms?"

Ayako shot him a grateful look and came forward to take Masako from him. The latter wasn't very impressed with his escape tactic and looked at him from underneath her lashes. He didn't care to interpret her look, nor did he want to. He turned away from them.

And felt all the blood freeze in his veins.

His eyes had immediately caught the TV screens. Or one screen in particular. The only screen with an image in it. The image of a young boy. A chill swept through Naru as the boy slowly, deliberately turned his head toward the camera. And then his pale lips slowly curved up into a terrifying smile.

"_I've got her…"_

**So…yeah. Sorry for the lack of action. I promise I'll add more in the next chapter. There is a plan in place lol! I also can't promise that the next one will be this quick in coming out. But it will be out!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Ghost Hunt.**

"_Mai…"_

The whisper jerked Mai awake. At first she was disorientated. Blue sky stretched as far as the eye could see above her. Soft blades of grass tickled her cheeks. The scent of honeysuckle was carried through the air on a gentle breeze. She turned her head to the side and saw dew drops attached precariously to the grass, glittering like diamonds. One particularly curious blade danced forward in the wind and a dew drop caressed her skin. She jerked, startled at the coldness, a striking contrast against the sun that was warming her. This felt too real to be a dream.

"_Mai…"_

She sat up quickly at the whisper. Nothing surrounded her except grass. There were no fences to separate borders. Just one large, empty expanse of land. She stood up shakily, her hand rising to clutch the region where her heart was.

"Mai."

The voice startled her and she almost fell in her haste to turn around. She was surprised to find a giant oak tree in the middle of the field a few miles out. It had a thick body that towered toward the sky. Dark green leaves covered every inch of the top. There was a rope tied to a thick lower branch and attached to the rope was a tire swing. It wasn't that that had Mai moving forward at a fast walk. It was the person sitting on the tire facing away from her.

It felt like forever as she moved toward him. She wasn't mistaken in her assumption when she circled around the tire. He looked up at her with a smile on his face.

"Gene," she said quietly. "It's been a while."

He slid his hands into his pants pockets and he looked around. "This is a beautiful place, Mai," he said softly. "Have you ever been here before?"

Mai frowned. "I thought you controlled these…moments."

He looked back to her, his smile stuck in place. "This is all in _your_ head, Mai. Something must have been bothering you for you to have called out to me."

Confusion etched her face. "But…but I thought…I always assumed it was you who had something to tell me."

Gene shook his head. "Our dynamics are strange. Yes, I can appear whenever I want to in your head, but sometimes _you_ are the one who brings me here. When that happens, I don't have a choice."

"I'm sorry," Mai said, feeling embarrassment. "I didn't realise I could do that."

His smile was back at her confusion. "You can do a lot of things, Mai. Don't sell yourself short. Now, what has been bothering you?"

Mai took a deep breath and released it in a whoosh. "It's this case we're currently working on. Something about it doesn't feel quite right to me. I've had that feeling since the start of it but I don't know why."

"Have you told Oliver about it?"

A blank look crossed Mai's face before she remembered that her elusive boss had turned out to be an international phenomenon. Hearing his real name brought back memories and she closed her eyes, the irritation at his deliberate obtuseness coming to the surface. Sure, she understood his motives but he could have told her of all people. After all…

_No, don't go there_, she silently scolded herself. She would not think about what an enigma her boss was. At times he seemed like he really cared for her and others he was his usual distant self. That didn't excuse him from being so uncouth!

"Mai."

Gene's voice broke into her thoughts. When she glanced at him he was looking at her with an amused smile on his face.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I asked if you told Oliver about your…intuition?"

Mai rolled her eyes. "As if that narcissist would ever give me the time of day."

Gene smothered a laugh behind a fist. "Are you sure that's what it is?"

"What do you mean?"

He reached out and ruffled her hair. "You'll figure out his secret eventually. Go easy on him when you do."

"Highly doubtful, but I'll try. On another thought, you're not getting any weird vibes from this place at all?"

Gene paused. "I – "

Suddenly the space around them seemed to warp. The grass and the sky all seemed to blend into one, a kaleidoscope of colour, whirling around and around until Mai felt like she was suspended in the air.

"What are you doing?" Gene shouted.

"It's not me!" Mai shouted back, terrified at what was happening. This had never happened to her before. She had always been the one in control of her dreams. Frightened, she reached out a hand to Gene. Right before she reached him he was ripped away from her, sucked into a ragged slash in the space of her mind, completely lost from her.

"Gene!"

The scream ripped from her throat. The colours were closing in on her, twirling her around like she weighed nothing. The wind roared in her ears and she shut her eyes against the fear. She would not be afraid of her own mind. She was in control.

Almost immediately her world stopped shifting. Her eyes were still shut but she could feel the wind blowing against her. Dry crackling surrounded her and her eyes flew open. All the breath in her froze.

She was surrounded by grey. Different shades of it, but all in grey. Dead trees sparsely surrounded her, their branches void of leaves. Some drooped low to the ground while others stood tall. Even the sky above was a dark shade of grey. The dry crackling on the ground was the dead leaves, broken and crumbling with age. They succumbed to the wind's ministrations, flowing to and fro, a twisted melody.

"Gene?" Mai called out hesitantly. She was very afraid and very alone and was very sure this was not a product of her mind. This wasteland surpassed even her worst vision of darkness. While she was contemplating what to do and how to find Gene she noticed something moving on her right from the corner of her eye.

Every muscle in her body froze to the spot. Sweat broke out on her forehead. She swallowed hard, the lump in her throat growing. Whatever it was, it was coming closer. At first it hung low, seeming to caress the leafy ground. Then it rose sharply, almost a foot above her head. Then it began its stilted descent. To her, it was an intermittent dance of horror.

_Get a grip on yourself_, she mentally shouted. _You've faced worse and survived_! Mai slowly turned to face the object of her current disposition.

The breath she didn't know she had been holding released out of her in a whoosh. It was just fog. Just a thick, expanse of mist, its whiteness striking against the grey. She almost laughed at herself for her stupidity when she noticed a shadow moving within the fog. A shadow that seemed to grow.

Mai took a step back, then another, her eyes wide with horror. Right before her eyes a shadowed hand reached out to her, still consumed by the fog. She screamed and ran, not caring where she was going, just knowing she had to get away from the fog. Her deepest fears came to life as she flat out sprinted. No matter how far or how fast she ran, it still prowled after her, inching closer in its slow, unnatural gait.

She slapped at the lower hanging branches as she ran, expertly shifting between trees. One protruded root caught her off guard and she tripped, going down hard, the root breaking in her fall. Her muscles seemed to go on lockdown. Her body refused to move no matter how much she tried.

_Move!_ She silently screamed. _Please, move!_

All Mai succeeded in doing was turning herself over so she lay flat on her back. To her horror the fog was hanging above her, suspended, moving as if it were breathing. Everything was silent; the wind had died down and the leaves had stopped crackling. For a heartbeat everything slowed.

And then the shadow started to grow in the fog. Larger and larger until it broke through the surface. The hand was old and gnarled, the fingertips covered by long yellowed claws. Mai's breath was coming in sharp gasps. Her brain had severed all contact from her body for even on the cusp of danger it refused to obey her desperate commands.

The hand reached out and she turned her face, shutting her eyes tightly. Maybe if she thought about something else she would swept away, carted off to a distant portion of her mind, a happier one, one where she wouldn't have to deal with the horror of this. Try as she might the sights around her were imprinted in her memory. No matter how hard she tried to shake it loose, it wouldn't budge, stubbornly clinging to her.

A sharp pain pierced the skin of her exposed left cheek, making her cry out. The claw embedded in her skin moved down, slowly, painfully. Mai's body was too numb for her to bat away the hand and when it was wrenched away her eyes snapped open.

Gene was there, roughly pulling her to her feet. He looked scared, and he watched the fog with wariness. He shoved her away as a haunting shriek filled the air.

"Run!" he shouted. "Don't look back!"

Mai felt the liquid making a trail down her cheek. It splashed onto the ground, red on grey. She could see Gene turning to face the fog, tall and proud, and her mind rebelled. Even as he turned to her to yell at her again she moved toward him, grabbing his arm before turning to run. He followed haphazardly, trying to avoid the clinging roots that seemed to have minds of their own.

Mai didn't let go of Gene's arm until they entered a clearing with a thick tree towering above the rest. She led him behind it, where she collapsed against it, breathing heavily. Gene was breathing just as hard and the fear was prominent in his eyes.

"What the hell was that?" Mai gasped out, almost bent double.

"I don't know," Gene admitted quietly after a while. "It seemed much stronger than an ordinary spirit."

Suddenly he grabbed her arm and forced her to face him. Panic gleamed brightly on his face.

"Mai, listen very carefully to what I'm about to tell you."

Mai nodded silently, worried at his reaction and unsure of how to react.

"You mustn't come here again. Don't try to contact me. Whatever this thing is, it can move within the spaces of reality. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Mai nodded again, uncertainty on her face.

"It means this thing can appear anywhere, even in your own dreams. Tell Oliver about this. He needs to know. This case has taken on a very dangerous edge. But, please, Mai, _don't come here again._ It isn't safe for you anymore."

Mai bolted up in bed, perspiration beading on her forehead. Her breaths were ghosting the air in front of her. She hadn't realised how cold it had gotten. The room was still dark and she surmised it must still be the early hours of the morning. She shot a quick glance at Ayako and Masako. They were sleeping peacefully, innocently unaware of the dangerous situation she had just been in.

The dream itself had felt so real. Her body was still shivering from the aftereffects. She could still feel the fear, strong and sharp, within her. She was fighting to calm her nerves and decided a calming walk outside might help her resolve.

Mai whipped the covers off her and made her way to the bathroom. It was moderately furnished with a shower stall at the far corner, a toilet, and a basin. The china blue patterned tiles were cold as she walked barefoot across the bathroom. She reached out to grip the edge of the ceramic lip and bent her head, closing her eyes. She was exhausted even after the restful sleep she had fallen into after Lin had deposited her on her bed. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, lifting her head to look at her reflection in the silver-framed oval mirror above the sink.

And slowly lowered her arms. Her gaze was locked on the angry red slash marring her left cheek.

**I hope you enjoyed that. I know I enjoyed writing it. Sometimes I even creep myself out! Please let me know your thoughts :) **


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Ghost Hunt.**

**Ooooh one thing I forgot to mention. Some characters may be slightly OOC, depending on my mood. Enjoy! **

Mai was starting to feel a little unnerved by Naru's levelled stare. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably. His gaze was closed off and she couldn't tell what he was thinking. She had done what Gene had said and told Naru and the others about the strange adventure she had had in her dreams. The grave atmosphere told her what they thought about it.

"You're like a spirit magnet," Monk joked, his voice holding half of its usual cheeriness. "What have you done now to garner its attention?"

Mai had been wondering that herself. After Gene had informed her of her latest ability she was agonizing over what else she could apparently do. From all the people in the house it had come after _her_. There was no doubt in her mind that it was her fault somehow. Something she didn't even know she was doing.

Naru was watching Mai carefully. She looked pale and had dark circles under her eyes. The dream must have taken its toll on her. It was a wonder she was still sitting here with them. He half expected her to storm out of the house and away from certain danger. He felt a sting of pride at her temerity. He knew anyone else would probably break under the strain. But not Mai.

His gaze was drawn once again the jagged slash on her cheek and felt his anger burn through him. He hid his clenched fist. He felt a violence he had no outlet for except to suppress it. He clenched his teeth together so hard he feared they might crack. He had to physically restrain himself to stay in his seat. Oh yes, he would enjoy putting an end to this spirit who had dared to even look her way. He would make it suffer until it begged for death. And then he would make it suffer some more.

When he realised the dangerous direction his mind had taken he abruptly stood and left the room. He couldn't sit there and look at the fear hiding behind Mai's confoundment. The fact that she wanted to continue helping with the case made it worse. It was his fault. He was supposed to take care of her. He knew the limits of her abilities. Knew it better than most. And still he had allowed something like this to happen while he had been under the same roof as her. His fist connected with the wall.

Mai watched Naru leave and her mouth drooped down into a frown. Why was he upset with her? She was the victim here! Irritation surged up inside her. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the door through which her boss had exited. Every time she thought he felt one way he acted in the opposite. She was tired of trying to guess his moods. It was exhausting.

"I don't understand," Ayako said slowly, shaking her head, her misery evident in the lines on her face. "I know I put a charm in our room."

"It's not that simple anymore, Miss Matsuzaki."

Mai didn't want to look at Naru, actually looked at the window across the room. The sky was dark with grey thunder clouds that reminded her of her dream. She swallowed hard. Okay, maybe not the best place she could have chosen to look at.

Despite her resistance she found her gaze drawn back to Naru. He was standing in the door frame, his hands shoved in his pockets. He was leaning his left shoulder against the door jamb casually with his right foot crossed behind his left ankle. His hair was a mess from running his fingers through it over and over again and Mai couldn't stop her heart from skipping a beat. His gaze was dark and brooding and she wondered what he had been thinking about to put such a serious look on his face.

"From Mai's description we know that whatever it is, it _is_ restricted by the charms. If it matches Gene's description, like I'm afraid it does, it doesn't have to be. Yes, you did place a charm in your room, but there isn't such a restriction in Mai's _mind_. Nor is there in any of ours."

He let the implications of that sink in. A stunned silence swept through the room. No one had thought of such a thing. As soon as the severity of the situation set in Ayako jumped to her feet and started pacing.

"No, no I can't be here. I can't sit here twiddling my thumbs as we slowly solve this stupid case, anxiously wondering if it will come after me next!"

Monk stood up and went to her. He grabbed her hands and forced her to a halt. "Ayako, it will be okay. We have all the knowledge we need to protect ourselves."

"Monk is right," Naru said, removing his hands from his pockets and crossing them over his chest. Mai's eyes were drawn to the knuckles of his right hand. A few were split and dried blood coated them. _What did he do?_

"It seems we've been too lax in our research of this place. Other cases have made us arrogant in assuming we're dealing with similar instances. Obviously, this is not the case with this one. First off, we're going to double up on protection charms. Miss Matsuzaki, I need you to create one for every person in this room. Can you do that for me? It should ward off any unscheduled…visits."

Ayako shoved Monk away and faced Naru, her fists clenched. "You don't know if that will work, Naru."

He levelled one of his unreadable looks at her. "It's the best we've got."

Ayako's jaw dropped. "'Its…it's the _best we've got_?' Are you crazy? How can you decide for us that we should put our own lives on the line to deal with this…this thing?"

Naru closed his eyes. "Miss Matsuzaki, in our line of work, every case is a risk on our lives. If you are incapable of being useful to us, then I suggest you leave. I don't have the time to worry to about an emotionally unstable woman in the midst of one the most dangerous cases we've ever had."

Naru walked away.

Mai couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for Ayako. She knew what she was feeling. Had felt it herself more times than she could count. But she would be damned if she left this case unsolved. It had already claimed an innocent woman's life. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if their failure resulted in someone else's death.

"I'm going to lie down for a while," she mumbled, standing up to go.

"Wait," Ayako said. She quickly scribbled down a protection charm and handed it to Mai. "Don't lose this. Keep it on you at all times."

Mai smiled, warmed that Ayako had chosen to stay and help. She walked down the cold hallway, shivering as she went. She had forgotten her jacket at the base but didn't have the energy to go back. She continued down the hall until she got to the wooden stairs and climbed those slowly.

Certain steps creaked and freaked her out but she scolded herself for being a baby and forged on. She would not let this one dream affect her ability to help in the case. She was stronger that than.

In the room she shared with Ayako and Masako, she kicked off her shoes and stretched, working out the kinks. She yawned and hoped that she would be able to have a fitful sleep. She left the charm on the bed and looked around the mahogany dresser for a pin to attach it to her t-shirt when she felt a rush of cold air behind her.

Immediately the sweat broke out on her forehead. _Why does this always happen to me_, she silently groaned. She was one step away from screaming her lungs out for Naru when whatever was behind her spoke.

"_Help me…"_

She turned, afraid of what she might see but curious as to the request being asked of her. The silvery figure of a woman was being formed at the door, out in the hallway. A strange black and purple aura surrounded it. With a sinking feeling she realised Ayako hadn't put any charms in the hallways. They had _never_ put up any charms up in the hallways. Mai took a step back.

The figure reached out toward her. _"Help me…"_ it whispered.

"Who…who are you?" Mai asked, backing into the dresser, her fingers gripping the edge like a lifeline.

The figure was wavering in and out of focus and she guessed that it might be a new spirit. A sneaking suspicion formed in her head.

"Yoshina?" she asked quietly.

The figure's head snapped up and bowed again in defeat. Mai felt her heart slowly breaking. Yoshina Fuyuki had been the previous owner of the house and another countless victim of the spirit that hailed in it. The aura suddenly flared out.

"_Help me…"_ the spirit pleaded.

"How?" Mai asked, her voice breaking. "I can't send spirits through to the other side."

The figure, _Yoshina_, Mai reminded herself, beckoned her over. Mai, despite her better judgment, inched closer, but was still far away from the door. The spirit continued to beckon Mai forward until she stood at the very edge, almost face to face with it. Then it lifted up both of its opalescent hands and waited. Confused Mai stared at it until the figure pointed at her hands.

Uncertainty rushed through every vein in her body. What was this spirit up to? She had never even heard of something like this before, and she had done a lot of reading since she had started working for Naru. Curiosity burned bright in her despite her wariness and she raised her hands and moved them slowly towards to figure's. When they touched it was like a burst of energy being released. It swept through the room, flinging loose papers up into the air and lifting the blankets off the bed.

Mai tried to move her hands away but they seemed to be locked to the figure's hands. She shielded her face with her upper arm, hoping nothing in the room would be damaged. She cursed her curious streak. Why couldn't she just be normal and scream for help instead of always doing her own thing?

"_Run while you still can…"_

The whisper had Mai looking at the figure. No, not a figure anymore. It had now fully taken on the appearance of Yoshina Fuyuki before she had died. She was looking at Mai with a grave expression on her face, which changed into a beautiful smile when she was bathed in a golden glow. It slowly started to dematerialize her. "_Thank you…"_ she whispered before her figure winked out of existence.

Mai stared, stunned, at the spot where Yoshina had vanished from. Her hands dropped uselessly to the side. What had she just done? _What had she just done?_

She had no doubt she had just uncovered another hidden ability. How had Yoshina known she could do that? How? The question burned in her mind. She was so absorbed in her musings that she didn't notice the hunched figure at the end of the hall, where the darkness reigned, until it was too late.

With wide eyes she stared at the figure of the boy as he came forward. He was crouched on the floor, looking up at her with wide eyes. In person, he looked even more frightening. The veins on his face were more pronounced and she noticed a hole in the region where his heart should have been. It was dark with dried blood and the coppery scent floated through the air. His head was also matted with dried blood. He tilted it to one side, the angle too far for a living person to imitate, and eyed her. Then he tilted his head in the other direction, his unblinking eyes never leaving her.

He slowly shook his head and moved backwards, still crouched, using his hands as leverage. The darkness started to swallow him up; his legs, his torso, his arms, his head. When Mai thought she could release the breath she had been holding, a whisper came out of the darkness.

"_You shouldn't have done that. She's not going to like it."_


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own Ghost Hunt.**

**Thank you for all the reviews *blush*. Again, I apologize for any OOCness. My fingers sometimes type things my brain doesn't agree with. Nevertheless I hope you enjoy :)**

Not for the first time Naru's thoughts about this case wandered into the realms of imperilment. All of a sudden they were informed that there was _another _spirit hailing in the house. And one they hadn't even managed to sense. To him, it seemed like the one the spirit of the boy answered to. But if there was another dwelling within the house then where was it hiding?

Mai must have upset the balance to prod the boy to answer in such a way so as to reveal the existence of the female. He suspected she might have sent Yoshina Fuyuki to the other side but he didn't know how she could have. He himself had never heard of such a thing, didn't even know it was possible.

He had called Madoka and Yasu after hearing about the strange phenomena that Mai had experienced. Both of them had found no evidence of such a thing existing, no matter how much they researched. Judging by Mai's expression, it scared her even more to realise she had an ability that was not even recorded.

Naru felt his fear escalate into monumental proportions as he watched his cinnamon-haired vixen worriedly gnawing at her bottom lip. _His_. Since when had he started thinking of Mai in those terms? He suppressed the urge to go to her and gently free that bruised part of her anatomy from its temporary prison.

Twice now she had been in situations that could have potentially endangered her life. Twice now he had failed to protect her. He had never in all his years felt so useless. When he had seen Gene's face obscured by the green veil of death he had been devastated. What he felt at the mere _thought_ of losing Mai did not even compare. He had no idea when but she had become a fundamental part of him.

And that part of him that wanted her safe was burning for revenge.

Mai could feel Naru's eyes boring holes into her but she still refused to meet his gaze. She gnawed harder on her bottom lip. She could imagine the thoughts running through his mind. He probably thought she was being inordinately unhelpful but she wasn't going to apologize for being the way she was. He could think whatever he liked but she wasn't budging from the house. If there was a chance, no matter how small, that she could help, she wouldn't throw it away by running.

"Mai…"

She looked at Naru. He seemed to be struggling with something. But what came out of his mouth next was something she had never dreamed he would say, no matter her earlier attempts at convincing herself she could be of any help.

"I need you to go back into your dream world and contact Gene again."

The stunned silence that followed his proclamation lasted only a second before everyone in the room stood up and started shouting unanimously at him. Mai was frozen, her eyes locked onto Naru's. Everyone in the room faded except for him. His eyes were all she could see. Deep midnight blue clashed with liquid amber. Why was he asking this of her? _Why? _

How could he even think she would want to go back into that nightmare? Ever since she had discovered her dream world where she could communicate with Gene she had never been afraid of it. He had never hurt her and he never would.

Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. She supposed she couldn't exactly think of it in terms of that. Gene himself had to be bending space to appear as he did in her mind, even if he didn't realise it. She felt every whispered touch of his fingers holding onto her hand, felt the warmth radiating from him when they stood next to each other. How could she label him differently when technically, he wasn't?

Whatever had turned her dream world into a nightmare clearly had the same abilities as Gene. It just wielded its power more ruthlessly.

"Do you even care what happens to Mai or is her detriment a small price to pay for solving this case?"

That loud and angry retort came from Monk. He was in front of Naru's face, towering over the younger man, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles were white. "You heard what your brother said. It isn't safe for her there. If it were up to me I'd send her home, far away so she wouldn't get hurt anymore."

Mai rose out of her chair, a protest forming on her lips. She understood Monk's intentions but she couldn't just abandon her friends to face this thing alone. She was a part of their team, even though her abilities weren't quite up to speed with theirs.

"That's why you're not in charge. If left to you, I've no doubt this case would forever go unsolved," Naru said, closing his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest.

That was a low blow, even for Naru. To insult Monk's good intentions and abilities was one he took too far. Monk reared back his fist and struck Naru without thinking. Naru's head snapped to the side, his eyes still closed.

"Monk," John said, coming forward and inserting himself between him and Naru. "You need to calm down. Naru has never led us astray in all our past cases, has he? Just trust him."

"That's a bit hard to do when he's showing no appreciation for the situation," Monk said furiously, glaring at Naru over John's head.

Lin was behind Monk, ready to intervene if things started to get out of hand. He didn't like Naru's decision either, for he had grown fond of Mai over these past months, but he knew Naru would never willingly put Mai in danger. Even if the girl couldn't see it, his charge kept an eye on her, protecting her from whatever he could, even though she made it difficult for him.

"Out."

The word, though spoken quietly, resonated like thunder. All eyes swivelled to Naru. He was looking at Monk with blank eyes but Mai knew more went on behind their misleading surfaces than she liked to admit. He saw things no one else did and she didn't like the way he was casually studying their friend.

"I said, get out. All of you."

Again he spoke in his normal tone of voice but there was a burst of flurry in the room as everyone rushed to leave. Mai took one step in the direction of the door when Naru's voice spoke directly behind her.

"Except you."

The slamming of the door behind Lin left the two of them standing in silence. Mai couldn't even look at him. She was understandably upset at his request but knew they had no other leads; no other choice.

She felt his hand on her shoulder and reluctantly turned. Her gaze was level with his chest but he forced her to look at him with a finger under her chin. In a millisecond she watched a play of emotion flitter across his face before it was carefully hidden away behind a blank mask. How she hated that stupid mask.

"You know I wouldn't ask this of you unless I had no other choice."

Mai nodded. She understood, she really did. She didn't have to be ecstatic about it but she understood all too well. Gene was the only one left who could shed some light, if he knew any, on the current situation. If he could even point them in the right direction it would be something useful. Madoka and Yasu were at their wits end trying to find something, anything, but their search was proving to be more futile as the days passed.

"What happens if I'm attacked again?" she asked woodenly.

"I won't let that happen."

The steel in Naru's voice widened her eyes for a second. His jaw was tense and his eyes burned blue liquid fire. If she had harboured any doubts about this latest escapade they had just obliterated under the intensity of his conviction.

"Mai, I would never willingly put you in danger. Trust me."

She inhaled deeply and let it out in a rush. "I trust you," she said softly. "When do we do this?"

"Later tonight," he answered.

He moved to walk passed her. For a second she thought she had imagined his fingers brushing against hers.

_**A few hours later…**_

Dusk was beginning to fall across the sky. Mai watched as it changed colours, from blue to gold to orange. Stars dotted the darker half of the sky, white gold on midnight. Like Naru's eyes.

A blush formed on her face at the direction of her thoughts and not for the first time she wondered at Naru's ability to affect her senses so much that they even coerced her mind into likening the sky to his eyes.

She saw a shadow fall across hers and knew instinctively that it was his. His presence here could only mean one thing: they were ready.

Mai inhaled deeply and held it in for a second before slowly letting it out. She could do this. She could be strong for one last time. Naru needed her for this. Warmth spread inside of her like liquid fire. Naru _needed_ her for this. A silly smile curved her lips up.

"What's so amusing?" came his deep voice.

"Nothing important." She hid her smile. "Are we ready?"

When she turned to face him he was staring down at her with a look of intense scrutiny. His eyes touched every part of her face and saw the emotions she showed and those she didn't.

"You know you don't have to do this?" he added in a low voice that was riddled with doubt. "I know what I said earlier on, but if you want I can get you out of here? No one will blame you."

Mai shook her head. "No. I said I'd do this. Besides, this is the only lead we've got. Anyway, you promised you'd keep me safe." The last part was said in a teasing tone but it sailed over Naru's head.

"I will. I keep my promises."

"Don't look so serious. I'll be fine." She added a hesitant smile which he failed to return. Not that she was surprised. He wasn't much for smiling.

She walked passed him and laid down on the couch in their base. Everyone was gathered around her. She could see their anxious faces but supposed that even if she told them not to worry about her she knew it was a wasted effort. They would worry whether she told them to or not.

"We should at least give Mai a protection charm," Ayako said nervously, her fingers worrying at each other.

"That won't work. Just because Gene is harmless doesn't mean he won't be affected by the charm. Our objective here is to see if he can answer the questions that we can't," Naru said.

He loomed over Mai and her gaze was magnetically drawn to him. His fingers gripped hers and she felt him slide something cold and hard into her fist. When she moved to raise her hand to see what he had given her he clamped his fingers around hers.

"That's your lifeline to us," he said in a low voice. "As long as you have this, nothing can hurt you."

Mai was touched at his thoughtfulness and lowered her hand to the couch again. She closed her eyes and levelled her breathing, trying to remember what she felt the last time she had drifted off into her dream world. She felt the slight tug she had always missed, now fully aware of what she was doing, as she was pulled deeper into her own mind.

"_Mai…"_

**Hmm…I'm not sure about this chapter. Let me know what you guys think. Your opinions are appreciated. Thanks for reading. **


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own Ghost Hunt.**

**Apologies for the delay and any OOCness. Enjoy :)**

The wind whispered silent melodies as it whipped her hair around her face. Mai brushed the tendrils away from her eyes so she could view her surroundings. It was a starless night. Everywhere she looked she was surrounded by darkness. She could feel overgrown grass tickling her calves and wondered if she was back in the open field she had dreamed about the other night. She looked around for a moving shadow, hoping it would be Gene.

As her eyes scanned the distance a light flickered ever so briefly. Her gaze was rooted to the spot as the light flickered again. There was something there. Mai's feet were moving in that direction without her knowing it. Soon she was sprinting the distance. The wind grew violent, whipping her hair back and forth, obscuring her vision. She ignored the sting of the strands as they bruised her skin.

She became aware of holding something tightly in her right fist and remembered that Naru had given it to her. She squeezed it tighter as she ran, the distance decreasing steadily. The light was becoming clearer, a tether to reality that was slowly slipping away. A dark structure rose sharply against the night sky and to her amazement she recognized it as the house they were currently working the case on.

It looked foreboding and dangerous. Chills swept up Mai's arms. She ground to a halt a few feet away, staring up at the massive creation of wooden planks. The shape was still the same but the material used in its reconstruction had evolved. She eyed the broken shutters, their darkened interior raising her doubts again.

The light that suddenly flared in the upstairs window she was staring at made her jump a step back. It flickered along the walls, not powerful enough to illuminate what was in the room, but strong enough to highlight the shadow of a woman.

Mai craned her neck but the shadow moved out of her line of vision. She immediately started for the porch steps when a vice like grip on her arm spun her around. Whatever was in her hand poked her palm and she winced, tightening her grip on it lest she accidentally drop it.

"What are you doing here?" Gene asked, his voice tinged with anger. His grip on her arm made her wince but he didn't seem to notice. "I told you not to come back, Mai. I warned you about the danger of being here."

Mai jerked her arm free and turned to the light. It was fading as the woman moved further and further away from the window. "I came back for a reason, Gene."

She rubbed her arm where his fingers had bruised her. When he noticed the slightly red fingerprints encircling her skin he looked chagrined.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Mai was staring at the mark and wondered if it would appear on her arm when she woke. A sneaking suspicion told they would and would no doubt prove her theory about the similarity between Gene's ability and the spirit in her dream. She raised her gaze to Gene. "Naru sent me."

Gene shook his head. "I don't believe he'd willingly send you to this place after all I told you to tell him."

"It's not that," Mai said, quick to come to Naru's defence. "We had no choice. You're our only hope. Gene, _do_ you know what this thing is?"

Gene was silent. He was staring at Mai with an odd look on his face. She watched as his gaze tracked over her from head to toe and she grew uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

"What?" she demanded, hands on hips. "What are you looking at?"

Gene was shaking his head, wonder in his gaze. "I can't believe I've never noticed it before."

"You're not making any sense, Gene."

"You…" His hand lifted up traced her outline. She was starting to wonder if he would be any help at all. He had a dumbfounded look on his face. "I've always seen it but I never knew what it meant. Until recently."

Mai made a sound of impatience and turned to investigate the house when Gene's next sentence made her blood run cold.

"You're ghost-kissed."

When she turned back to Gene he was smiling.

"I'm…what?"

"Ghost-kissed. It's not a term heard very often, nor is it passed around as a story during campfires. It's been whispered through the decades but none have ever come forward to verify if it was real or not."

A myriad of emotions were tumbling through Mai. She didn't like this at all. "Why? If you know what it is why haven't Madoka and Yasu found any records of it?"

Gene was staring up at the house, a frown marring his features. The wind whipped his hair over his forehead.

"There won't be any written records. It's an orally kept secret, Mai. The only people who know it exists are the ones who have it. It's not something you come across every day. Your ability lets you send wandering spirits to the other side. It's a fascinating ability. There isn't one like it in the world."

"So how do you know about it then? And how did you know I have it?"

Gene's gaze lowered to hers. "People with that ability have very distinct auras. It's a deep purple interlinked with a colour that can only be described as darker than black. When I look into the blackness I feel a coldness come over me, like something sucking out my energy, my will to live. It's…frightening to say the least. Even a powerful medium wouldn't be able to see this kind of aura. As for your first question, Yoshina Fuyuki told me. She was also ghost-kissed, Mai."

Mai frowned. She remembered the strange aura Gene was describing surrounding Yoshina when the woman had first appeared in front of her and asked for her help. Realisation only struck then that Yoshina had probably known that Mai was ghost-kissed because she could see her distinctive aura. She had known Mai could send her to the other side.

Despite all that Mai sensed there was something Gene wasn't telling her. The proof was in his voice, in his eyes, in the downward slant of his mouth. He didn't look happy.

"I don't understand what you're trying to say."

"Mai, having the ghost-kissed ability is a very rare thing. When I say rare, I mean one in a million people. The fact that you ended up in the same place as Yoshina Fuyuki is something unheard of. Statistically speaking, the both of you should never have met, even in death."

Gene's gaze was again drawn toward the house. "I don't like the ramifications of this. I've no idea who this spirit is, _what_ this thing is, but it seems it's connected with the ghost-kissed. And judging from Yoshina's grisly demise, it's nothing good."

"When is it ever?" Mai murmured, turning to follow Gene's gaze. They stared at the house in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Mai felt like she was spinning around and around in an infinite vortex. If what Gene had told her was true, and he seemed pretty damned sure about it, then she really wasn't safe in the house anymore. This woman and the ghost-kissed had a sinister connection, one she really wasn't keen on finding out about. Knowing her luck it would probably be first hand.

She doubted even Naru's capability of protecting her from this one. Sure, he projected his confidence adequately at his ability to shield the others, but if push came to shove how far would he be willing to go to secure her safety?

_Naru._

She remembered that he had slid something into her hand right before she was whisked away. She tightened her fist and felt the cold pinpoint prick her again. She lifted her hand and slowly uncurled her fingers. In the dying fragmented light and the random motions of the wind, she spied a tiny gold pendant. Thin but solid gold lines stretched out from a thick middle, and on one of those branches, resting majestically, regally almost, was a beautiful Monarch butterfly. Its body was gold but the wings expanding from it glittered when it caught a glimpse of light. A mixture of amber and ruby winked at her and she stared at it for a very long time before Gene's hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her memories.

A couple of months ago SPR had been working a case in a monastery hidden deep in the mountains. It had been a favour for one of Monk's friends. The drive itself had taken more than three hours but the view from the top provided a quiet solace none of them had been looking for, or even expecting, but found comfort in. It was there that Mai had found, to her profound surprise that the monastery and its surroundings were home to magnificent Monarch butterflies.

She had loved it so much because they reminded her of when she was a little girl taking strolls in the park down the road from her house with her mother. She remembered happily chasing after the beautiful creatures with a little white net, laughing without a care in the world at her failed attempts at catching one. She remembered the curve of her mother's smile as she watched her run around. Her joy had been her mother's joy. The Monarchs residing around her area were a great source of familial comfort to both her and her parent until that contentment was cruelly wrenched away from her.

Those memories were something Mai desperately wished to retain possession of, so when she came across a pendant in the local gift store of a beautiful Monarch butterfly lounging resplendently on a golden spiky branch against a backdrop of black velvet she knew she had to have it. At the time, to her regret she hadn't had enough money with her to afford it. It was a loss she had to accustom herself to bearing.

And yet here the pendant was.

When did Naru…

_How_ did Naru even know about this?

Sure, he had called out to her to tell her they were ready to leave, but he couldn't have known which pendant she had been eyeing. She hadn't seen him spare a glance toward the gift store.

A slow grin spread across Mai's face, causing her eyes to dance with mischief and Gene to raise his eyebrow at her. She ignored him and continued to grin goofily at her pendant. He had bought it for her. Naru had bought it for her. _For her_. Warmth spread inside of her. Was this what Gene had meant? That _this_ was really what Naru thought of her?

She was surprised that he would show this amount of sentiment when his personal motto on a daily basis was probably to be a cold and unfeeling narcissist. He could pretend all he wanted but she was starting to see past his stoic demeanour to the man he was inside. He could feign indifference all he liked but she knew this small token he had just conveyed the extent of his feelings for her, whether he chose to deny them with everything he had or not.

"What?" Gene asked.

"You were right. It was a well-kept secret." She smiled at his confused look and started for the house. "Come on, Gene. We've got work to do. The only way we can even begin to move in the direction of solving this case is to find out the history behind it. And my guess is that we're about to get a front row seat."

The porch steps creaked as they climbed it. The wooden door had a rusting lock which opened easily under Mai's grasp. The door swung open and stale air rushed out to greet them. The hallway looked like one yawning hole of darkness. Not even the light flickering from upstairs penetrated its density.

"Are you sure about this?" Gene asked, his voice slightly hoarse.

"We have to." Mai squared her shaking shoulders and stepped forward. The darkness swallowed her form. After a while Gene followed suit.

Meanwhile, deep in the meadow, far away by the trees bordering the edge of Mai's consciousness, broken whispers started up. A woman's…a boy's…a combination of both? One thing was spoken clearly, repeating over and over again among the myriad of other whispers, and carried across the open field to the house. If Mai or Gene had been paying attention, if they had expanded their senses to the entirety of Mai's mind instead of just the house, they would have heard those hushed whispers.

"_Yes…yes…come to me…"_

**So the end of chapter 6. This was initially supposed to involve the history of the house but this chapter turned out to be longer than I expected. So it will come in the next chapter. Thanks for reading. **


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own Ghost Hunt.**

**Apologies for the delay, it's been a hectic few weeks. Please enjoy! :)**

Fragments of Mia's mind ripped away like pieces of a puzzle. They revealed another hidden underneath the darkness. One minute she and Gene were standing in the darkened hallway and the next they were back on the front steps. Sunlight streamed down from overhead, blinding in its intensity.

Through Mai's shielded eyes she could hear the sound of a child's laughter. It was so bright and full of happiness it brought a smile to her own lips. She bounded down the steps, ignoring Gene's adamant protests. At first all she saw was grass stretching for miles on end. And then from the far corner of the house a child ran out. Or more specifically, a little boy.

The breath caught in Mai's throat. Even from this distance she would recognize that little boy anywhere. His dark hair was a messy mass on his head, his bangs flopping onto his forehead. He had bright blue eyes and they sparkled with childish amusement. His mouth was open in a wide grin, showing little teeth and spewing infectious laughter.

Here he looked so animated, so young, so full of life. Compared to the little ghost boy she had been seeing it was an extraordinary alteration of appearance. She couldn't for the life of her imagine how such a vivacious child had turned out to become such a sombre ghost.

Mai's chest hurt as she watched the little boy run around in circles, his arms outstretched. Following him from the corner of the house was a man. He was tall and dressed in grey trousers and a white button up shirt. _Sire_, was Mai's first thought as she immediately noticed the striking resemblance between father and son.

The father ran after the little boy, his arms reaching for him, his mouth also tilted in a lazy half smile. He opened his mouth and shouted out something to his son but the words were lost to Mai. The little boy squealed louder and ran faster, flapping his arms in what looked like an attempt to fly. The father caught up to the boy and grabbed him, swinging him up into his arms, his smile transforming into a grin as big as his son's.

He held the little boy close and kissed his forehead, despite the boy's attempts to escape his father's grasp. He swung him around in a circle and the boy squealed with laughter.

"Daddy!"

Mai clearly heard that and her own lips curved up into a smile at the happy image she saw. She felt Gene coming to stand next to her.

"What exactly are we seeing?" he asked in a low voice.

"Another lifetime," she answered back just as softly.

The door to the house slammed open behind them and they spun. A woman was emerging from the darkness within, carrying a tray of what looked like lemonade. She was wearing a long grey dress cinched at the waist with a bow that was a slightly darker shade than her dress. Her hair was open and flowing and black as night. The curling locks cascaded down and around her shoulders. Her eyes were a bright shade of blue, the exact shade as the little boy's.

The woman strode through the grass and through them toward the man and the boy. The father put his son down and he screamed and ran toward the woman, flapping his arms again.

"Mummy! Mummy, look, I'm a bird."

It was hard not to be moved at such a sight. The little boy entangled himself in the folds of his mother's dress and the woman met her husband's smile over his head. She balanced the tray on one hand and reached down to ruffle his hair. Then she bent to give him a glass of lemonade.

As the little boy drank the liquid thirstily Mai noticed an odd look flash across the woman's face. It confused her because that wasn't the way a mother should look at her child. It was filled with malicious intent. Mai frowned and stepped closer to the little family of three.

Again, when the husband turned his gaze away the woman looked at the child with nothing but undisguised vindictive determination. _Why_ was she looking at her son that way? It raised goose bumps on Mai's arms.

As she walked closer to the trio her gaze was drawn to the little boy. And she halted in her tracks. Upon closer inspection she did indeed see the strange black and purple aura surrounding the boy, some areas almost translucent.

"He's ghost-kissed," she breathed.

An even more stunning realisation came when it registered that the woman could _see_ the boy's aura. It shouldn't have been possible. Only ghosts and the ghost-kissed could see that unmistakable interlink of colours. As a human, she shouldn't have even _known_ about this phenomenon. And yet the proof was there for Mai to see. Even as her mind was refusing to comprehend the enormity of what she was seeing, the woman was evidently shadowing her son's aura with her half-closed eyes.

It was slightly disturbing to watch, the way she was eyeing the aura with such reverence in comparison to how she watched her son.

"Why is she looking at him like that?" Mai asked.

"That's really your answer, isn't it? Clearly this woman can see the ghost-kissed. I'm not sure yet what her motives are or what she intends to use the ghost-kissed for, but if you want to move in the right direction, I say you start with her," Gene replied. Then he shook his head. "She isn't human, that's for sure."

"If she's not human, what is she?"

Mai's question hung between them like a dense fog and coated them both with apprehension. She knew she should be at least a little delighted that they had made progress, even if it was by a small amount, but the ominous suspicion she had refused to leave her.

Despite having an idea about where to start it still left much to debate. The fact that there were so many unknowns waiting to be discovered left a roiling in her stomach. They'd been on this case for almost a week and were nowhere near the endgame. The longer they were at a standstill the worse Mai's ominous feeling grew.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the scene in front of her changing again. This time they were standing at the bottom of the stairs in the house. At the top of the stairs the woman and her husband were having an argument.

"You promised me you'd stop this," the man was shouting, slashing his arm through the air for extra emphasis. "You said you had the…addiction under control. Were you lying to me even then?"

The woman looked completely uninterested in what her husband was saying. Instead her gaze kept straying to her left. Mai had a sneaking suspicion that her son's room was just around the corner, probably in the same room that she was sharing with Ayako and Masako.

"I do not have to listen to this, Tanaka. I have my addiction well under control, something which does not have to be explained to you." When the woman spoke her voice raised goose bumps on Mai's arms.

"Then why do you keep studying our son as if you'd like to devour his soul next? Do you think I don't know that he's ghost-kissed?"

The woman raised startled eyes to Tanaka before they were quickly masked. "What would a mere human know anything about being ghost-kissed?" her voice had taken on a silky, dangerous edge. Mai sensed it, even Gene tensed beside her, but the oblivious Tanaka obviously hadn't picked up on any such qualms.

"You know I know plenty." Again, he slashed his arm through the air. "You promised me you'd stop if I spared your life."

The woman raised an eyebrow, a frightening smile curving her mouth. "Sometimes your obtuseness amazes me, Tanaka. The ghost-kissed souls are my only source of sustainability. You know that. Without those, I'd wither away and die. And you wouldn't let that happen to me, would you?"

"No way," Mai breathed. "That's her darker purpose? She absorbs the souls of the ghost-kissed?"

"So it would seem," Gene murmured bedside her.

"What does that make her? Like a demon or something?"

"Or something," he muttered. "Something that's out of our field of expertise."

"You know I wouldn't," was Tanaka's strangled reply. "I'd never let anything happen to you, but that stops when it comes to our son. I won't let you lay a finger on him, Ammit."

"And we have a name," Gene said softly.

"Ammit. That doesn't even sound Japanese."

"It probably isn't."

Suddenly a rush of power surged through the house. The woman, Ammit, had drawn up to her full height. Her blue eyes were becoming a startling deep silver, a striking contrast to her midnight hair. They glowed with depraved etherealness.

"Do you really think you could stop me from getting what I want?" Ammit's voice was low and menacing. "You're nothing but a juvenile hunter - "

"A juvenile hunter who could have killed you ten years ago." Tanaka's words fell between them like a gauntlet, as if daring Ammit to act upon her nature.

Mai personally felt like the poor man was playing with something far more dangerous than he even realised and his blatant disregard for his actions served to certify that. She worried that the woman might harm him but remembered that she was seeing into the past, not the present. Even if Ammit did mean him any harm, there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"I do not appreciate you bringing up the one time in my life where I had completely failed. Make no mistake that was the only reason why you had the upper hand that night," came the soft reply. "Your failure to accomplish what you were designated to complete speaks volumes about your inexperience. Don't ever make the mistake of thinking that the only reason I married you was so you wouldn't kill me."

The stunned silence that response caused left a bitter taste in Mai's mouth. On one hand she felt for the young man who had no doubt fallen in love with Ammit. The woman had an unparalleled beauty that she rarely came across. On the other hand, Tanaka had to be the world's biggest fool to think he could manipulate the beautiful demoness, for that's what she was, and expect to escape unscathed.

"Look," Tanaka eventually said in a resigned voice. "I was never under the illusion that you had ever come to love me in these ten years, and despite mine for you I haven't forgotten what you are and what you're capable of. If you even attempt to take one step in our son's direction I will make you regret it, _you_ make no mistake about that, Ammit."

"Mummy? Daddy?"

The small voice was like a gunshot in the ensuing silence. Mai whipped her gaze to the little boy just as Ammit started for him.

"Don't take another step," Tanaka ordered, already moving in his son's direction. "Ammit, I'm warning you. Do not force my hand."

He reached forward and gripped his son's arm, pulling him behind him. The little boy had started to cry, not understanding what the argument was about. Mai's heart was in her throat as she watched him teeter precariously at the edge of the stairs, worried that if Tanaka let go of him he would fall. She started for the stairs, aware of her lack of power to change the situation, but feeling restless at not being able to do anything.

"Move, Tanaka."

The steel in Ammit's voice halted her in her tracks. And for good reason. The woman held a pistol in her hand and it was pointed at her husband. She could see Tanaka tensing and heard Gene's strangled gasp behind her. A scream built up in her throat but she knew it was futile. She did not have the power to change what she knew was about to unfold.

"No."

"MOVE!"

Accompanying the word was a gunshot, not fired directly at Tanaka's heart, but lower, hitting his left upper thigh. It was probably meant as a warning shot. It was probably meant to unbalance Tanaka enough so that he would fall down the stairs. It did neither. Instead the bullet passed through Tanaka's leg causing him to let go of his son, and imbedded itself in the little boy's chest.

The raw scream was ripped out of Mai as she watched the boy take a step back and miss the top step. In slow motion his body started to plummet down the stairs. Over and over his body descended, rolling down the incline, leaving blood across the wooden boards, eventually coming to rest at Mai's feet, blank blue eyes staring sightlessly at her.

She bent down and reached out a shaking hand. It ghosted through the boy. Tears blurred her vision at the savagery that had taken place. She knew the boy hadn't felt much, had probably died the instant the bullet impacted him, but the bloody body lying at her feet ripped at the emotional chords inside her.

"Shuuhei!"

The tortured scream barely penetrated Mai. She knew it came from Ammit and thought bitterly that she was the one who caused this and she shouldn't have the right to feel so wretched about this. Besides, she only wanted her son for his soul. Which she would now have, Mai realised.

She stood and stepped in front of the boy, foolishly believing that she could prevent the impossible in her current state of mind. Ammit was already bounding down the stairs at a rapid rate, tears streaking down her face. She kept calling her son's name as she ran. A harsh frown crossed Mai's face and she held her arms out to the side. The woman passed through her, falling to her knees beside her son.

Once again the memories changed, swirling around Mai and Gene before settling back into place. In this memory, they were standing in some sort of underground chamber. It wasn't very big. The walls and ceiling were riddled with damp compact sand. Candles surrounded the circumference of the cavern. Two men clad in long black robes each had a hold of Ammit's arms. They were wearing hoods that shadowed their faces. Ammit was screaming and struggling against them. Her hair was being whipped back and forth and her eyes glowed deep silver. In this image she really looked like the demon she was.

"You promised!" she was shrieking at an injured Tanaka. "You promised you wouldn't let them hurt me!"

Her screams bounced off the dirt walls. Tanaka avoided her eyes. His thigh was bandaged and tear stains covered his cheeks. He was standing behind three more men clad in black robes. The man in the middle held an aged book in his hands. He was reading from it, chanting slowly in a language Mai didn't recognise. The men on either side of him held meditation beads in one hand and tiny brass bottles in the other. The bottles had long necks with engravings spiralling up it. There was a collection of small holes at the top.

When the middle man raised his voice and his hand the other two started chanting and flicked their respective bottles forward. Both liquids splashed across Ammit. One was clear leading Mai to believe it could have been holy water. The other was a deep red, making her stomach lurch when she realised it was blood.

Ammit was screaming and tears were pouring from her eyes but none of the men seemed like they were going to stop or even react to her cries. For the first time Mai felt the stirrings of pity for the woman.

"Tanaka, it was a mistake. You promised!" Ammit continued to cry, repeating it over and over like a mantra.

"You will never harm another soul again," the voice of the man in front of her boomed. He slammed the book shut. "Bury her. She won't ever get the chance to destroy someone else ever again."

The men holding onto Ammit began to drag her backwards. She screamed and kicked and fought them but they wouldn't release her. Mai ignored Gene's protest and moved forward quickly, noting the deep hole in the ground. It was surrounded by a circle that looked like it had been cemented in place. Red liquid followed the pattern. The men dropped Ammit into the hole.

They started shovelling sand into the hole, with Ammit screaming at Tanaka for help, but the man was already lost quietly in his grief over losing his son. Her cries fell on deaf ears. The men kept shovelling dirt into the hole until Ammit's cries eventually ceased. The man with the book stepped forward.

"Complete the Devil's Trap," he commanded in an authoritative voice.

The other four rushed to do his bidding, two of them coming forward holding a bucket filled with cement. A third dipped a smaller jug inside and scooped up the grey liquid, tracing a series of lines within the already cemented circle. When he was done he stepped back. Mai was looking at a pentagram, with all points connected to the outer circle. She had never seen something like that before.

"Once it has dried, coat it with the remaining blood. That should be enough to imprison her within the house forever. As long as no one interferes with the seal I see no future problems. Seal the entrance to the basement once you're done. I do not want to chance someone accidentally stumbling onto this."

The man with the book turned to leave. Tanaka moved to go with him when an unnatural breeze swirled around the cavern.

"_Tanaka…you will never escape me…"_

Mai shivered at the threat that hung in the air. Tanaka's skin had paled to a startling degree. He looked like he was ready to faint. He cast an unsure glance at the man next to him.

"Are you sure this will hold her?" he asked in a faint voice.

"It will hold her. If you ever doubt my skills again find someone else to do your dirty work for you."

Mai moved even closer to the circle, ignoring the two men. She watched as the other four traced the cemented Devil's Trap with blood. When they were done they backed away slowly and followed the first two men. She was so absorbed in studying the composition she didn't notice one of the men cast a surreptitious glance back.

"It's a horrible fate," Gene said quietly, coming to stand next to her. "They left her to die in the worst way possible. For someone who wasn't even human to begin with, I wonder how long it must have taken her to finally meet her maker."

"But she isn't gone, is she," Mai said thoughtfully. "She's still haunting this house, feeding off every ghost-kissed soul to walk in here."

"Which is why you should go home, Mai," Gene said turning to face her. "I've said it before and I will keep reiterating. It isn't safe for you here, anymore."

"I won't leave. I don't know if you realise this or not, but I'm SPR's only link to Ammit, seeing as I'm ghost-kissed. I'm their last resort; the only bait that Ammit will come out for."

Even as Mai spoke she could feel warmth enveloping her and felt the distinct tug pulling her back to consciousness. She didn't want to leave yet, wanted to find out more about Ammit and Tanaka, but realised she had probably been under for a very long time and could picture the anxiety on the others' faces.

"Gene, I have to go. No matter what happens we need to put a stop to Ammit. She'll keep on killing if we don't. Goodbye, Gene…"

Both Mai and Gene faded from view. If they had stayed longer, if they had studied the Devil's Trap more carefully, they would have noticed the slight unevenness of the circle and the pentagram within that kept it from being fully complete.


	8. Chapter 8

**I do not own Ghost Hunt. Enjoy :) **

The first face Mai saw when she opened her eyes was Naru's. His unblinking hooded eyes bored into hers, so close she could see every single dark eyelash swept low over midnight. The next thing she realised was that his arms were around her. And it made her face go scarlet. She lowered her eyes, unable to meet the intensity with which he studied her.

Slowly Naru released his grip on Mai and stood up, his arms hanging uselessly at his sides. He was more than tempted to go back to her side and if she gave even the slightest indication that she wanted him to do so, no matter how indistinct, he would. He thought he was done being terrified about what might or might not happen to her next but when she started shivering violently while lost in her own mind he'd dropped all pretences.

Well aware of what would run through the others' minds, he gently gathered Mai into his arms. The silence around him warned him that he was acting completely out of character but he didn't care. If he lost Mai, he would have nothing.

Naru watched her swing her legs over the side of the couch and drop her head. Concern and trepidation swirled in him like a tornado, around and around, battering against his self-restraint over and over again until it started to crumble under the relentless onslaught.

"I may have found us a starting point…and an end point."

Mai's quiet words ceased all movement within the room. Every stare was on her slumped form. Her hair shielded her eyes from his gaze and he shoved his hands into his pockets to prevent himself from parting the waves and forcing her to look at him. Her eyes usually told stories that she herself omitted to apprise them of. He hated that even now she had probably shared something with Gene that he would never know of. A dark feeling rose sharp and hot to the surface and it took him a while to realise it for what it was: jealousy.

Mai knew she had to face her friends eventually but the horrors of the past still clung to her like tenacious cobwebs. Their silvery fibres coated her entire person with Ammit's dark and sinister secrets. It was an ensnarement she couldn't escape from. With that burden hanging like an ominous cloud over her head, she lifted her head and squared her shoulders.

"Ammit. That's the name of the other spirit in this house."

She proceeded to tell the others about what she and Gene had seen. The look on their faces at the end of her tale was enough to reassure her that she wasn't the only one who was overwhelmed by the direction this case had taken on. She had deliberately left out the part about where she would be the bait to draw out Ammit because she wanted to discuss it with Naru first, but by the dark glint in his eyes and the stony set of his face he already knew what she was planning and he didn't like it one bit.

She begged him with her eyes not to divulge anything that would start a war within SPR. She was well aware of what the others would think and knew they would do everything in their power to stop her from intentionally putting herself in jeopardy. She also knew that if she didn't do this, there was no way they would draw Ammit out and these senseless killings would go on.

"I need a word with Mai," Naru spoke suddenly. "Alone."

"No way. If you're discussing something pertinent to the case then I say we should all be here for this," an angry Monk said, clenching his fist. "Don't think I don't know what goes on in that conniving little head of yours, Naru."

"You have no idea what goes on in my head and the fact that you think you do is laughable. Now, please do as I ask. I will not repeat myself."

After a lengthy amount of silence and lack of movement that was glaringly obvious in its design to alert Naru to the fact that none of them approved of his unorthodox methods, they left one by one. Even Lin shot Naru and Mai an unsettling look before shutting the door behind him.

"No. I will not allow it. How could you even think for one second that you have even the slightest amount of understanding regarding how to deal with something that isn't even in our area of expertise? Not even I will brag that amount of confidence."

Naru's unexpected tirade was the last thing she expected to hear but when she felt the pendent in her fist she remembered he wasn't that forthcoming about his hidden feelings and that this outburst revealed the strength of his unease, and a perturbed Naru didn't bode well for the outcome of the case.

"Naru, think about it logically for a second. This is the only option we've got. Since we've been here the only spirit we've seen is Shuuhei. Ammit has only ever appeared in _my_ mind. So she'll come out if I call her. That's the only way we'll be able to exorcise her. The only way that _I'll_ be able to exorcise her."

"What kind of an argument is that? It's ludicrous at best. Why don't you go back to your playpen and leave the thinking to the adults."

The harshness of his words made Mai flinch but the pendent in her hand told a different story. She kept telling herself that Naru was being so offensive because he didn't know how to express what he felt for her and this was his way of keeping her safe. It was a feeble excuse and it gave her no peace of mind. His words stung, and she couldn't excuse him for that.

"Look, I don't need your permission, _Oliver_." The words came out more grating than she had expected but she stood firm. She was done taking insults from him. "I'm just informing you as a courtesy. You can either help me or not, but you have no authority to stop me."

Naru's lashes shadowed his eyes again. He looked almost casual but she could see the tension lining every inch of his body. She had never gone to this length to get her own way, nor had she ever thrown his past back in his face, but she was tired of always being treated like a juvenile kid who didn't know what she was doing.

"On the contrary, so long as you're in this house you are under my jurisdiction and I forbid you from doing anything so foolish. If I have to confine you to your room for the duration of this case then so be it. What you're suggesting is asinine when you have no idea what this woman is capable of. She could absorb your soul in the blink of an eye and you would be helpless under her assault."

Mai had no doubt that he would do as he threatened. She clenched her fists tightly. When she felt the pendent prick her palm she raised her hand and uncurled her fingers. Naru's gaze dropped to the light glittering off the wings of the Monarch and tensed even more. Anger burned in her. He would never see her as more than a child and the fact that all evidence pointed otherwise, he wouldn't change his outlook. Despite her attachment to it, she threw the pendent at him. He reached out and caught it before it hit his chest.

"Stop playing head games with me, Naru," she said softly, almost sadly. "I refuse to be a willing participant in your twisted amusement."

She walked away from him. He didn't try to stop her.

_**An hour later…**_

Mai stood at the foot of the stairs, her gaze locked on the darkness above. In her mind's eye she could see Ammit arguing with Tanaka, Shuuhei's lifeless body rolling down the stairs. She hugged her arms around herself and climbed the stairs. There was something she needed to do, something she didn't need a charm for. She knew Ayako would freak out if she found out Mai had ditched her charm but she couldn't complete her objective if it was with her.

At the top of the stairs she headed slowly toward the darkened part of the hallway, the place where no light touched. There she waited. She knew he would come soon. And he didn't disappoint. She had been waiting no more than fifteen minutes when she heard his slow, unnatural gait as he moved toward her. Fingernails scratched floorboards as he inched closer and closer. She couldn't see him in the dark but she knew he was there.

"Shuuhei?" she called softly, not wanting to startle him.

"You're not…very bright, are you?" the hoarse, stilted whisper came from the darkness.

"I just want to help you," Mai answered back. She kept her voice purposefully low so as not to give away her position or her intention to the others. Right now they were all gathered in the base doing their utmost to help Madoka and Yasu research Ammit and her shady background. They were so absorbed in their work they hadn't even noticed Mai slipping out.

"That's what they…all say. Do you think they haven't tried to get rid of us before?"

"We're not like them. I'm not like them."

A small crouched shadow inched closer, stopping and then continuing forward. It stopped almost at Mai's feet. Goose bumps rose on her skin but she steeled her nerves and bent down, crouching next to the spirit. She still couldn't see his features clearly but she could hear him. Her shoulders shook and she wrapped her arms around herself again to ward off the unwanted doubts.

"Shuuhei, why are you helping her? Your mother? She was the one who killed you," Mai said softly.

A rush of air swept past her, chilling in its animosity. She shivered and tightened her grip.

"My mummy was keeping me safe," the spirit grated out. "I will do whatever she says."

"Is she making you lure those innocent people here? Is she making you kill them so she can devour their souls?"

"I am doing it to save her."

Mai could understand the love between a mother and her son but she couldn't comprehend this aberrant version of sentiment. It made her ire rise.

"She's done nothing to deserve your help. You're dead because of her. Don't you see that?" her voice rose with every word. Then she stopped as a thought occurred to her. And frowned. "Why are you still here? I would have thought she'd have absorbed your soul." The statement was more for herself than for the spirit.

"I want my mummy to live again. I will always give her what she wants. And she wants you."

At that sinister threat Mai jerked to her feet and quickly backed away, her eyes never leaving the shadows. Fear had her heart beating faster in her chest. She supposed Naru had been right about her inexperience but on the other hand this case dealt with ghosts, and ghosts she could manage. Even hostile, mulish ones.

She backed away slowly, carefully watching the shadows for any sudden movements. When none followed the warning she released a small sigh. And collided with something behind her. She was about to scream when a hand clamped down over her mouth. The scent that accompanied the act calmed her down somewhat since she knew it almost as well as she knew herself.

Mai wrenched his hand away from her face. "What are you doing here, Naru?"

"Did you really think I didn't notice your Houdini act? I was aware you slipped out of the room the instant you did. How many times have I told you not to goof off on your own?" came to reply.

Mai rolled her eyes and marched past him. "I don't need a babysitter. I'm perfectly capable of handling things on my own." His deep sigh just irked her even more.

"So you've proven. Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you."

She heard the statement, not the indistinct plea. She ground her teeth and clenched her fists. "What do you want me to say, Naru?" she asked, turning to shoot him with a heated glare. "I'm not the same person I was eighteen months ago. If you can't see that, if you can't trust me enough to make my own judgment, then maybe this whole arrangement isn't going to work out."

At his silence she shook her head and turned to walk away. She couldn't have said how it had happened. It was too quick for her. One second she was on level ground, the next she heard the sharp crack of wood just before she felt her body hurtling into the dark abyss that had opened up beneath her feet. This time, she did scream.

"_Naru!" _


	9. Chapter 9

**I do not own Ghost Hunt. Apologies for the delay. Enjoy :)**

"This is ridiculous," Mai protested, brushing away Ayako's hand impatiently. The other woman glared hard at her before continuing trying to pin the protection charm she had created just for her onto her t-shirt.

"Are you trying to make me the bad guy here?" Ayako muttered, eyebrow furrowing slightly. "Because Naru is bound to bite my head off if you go off again without a charm and something happens to you, because let's not kid ourselves, something _always_ happens to you."

Mai rolled her eyes at Ayako's theatrics. She rolled her shoulders back and winced at the sharp pain that shot up her arm. When the floorboards had caved under her feet she had frantically tried to grab a hold of something, of anything, but Naru had beaten her to it. He had gripped her arm so tightly and suddenly her body had jerked to a complete halt and she felt as though he had ripped her arm from its socket.

Not that she wasn't grateful for his quick actions. He had saved her life again, a fact she was uncomfortably aware of after her intense argument with him. She really needed to stop underestimating him. It was making her look like the biggest fool. She was so deep in thought she didn't notice the object of her musings walk into the base until his deep, low voice rang out.

"We have a serious problem."

Naru's ominous statement drew all movement in the base to a halt. All eyes were on him and the grim look on his face made the air grow thick with unwanted tension. Ayako had even stopped trying to pin the charm on her.

"What do you mean?"

The question came from Masako, who had made herself pretty scarce during the case. Her blue and white flower patterned kimono sleeved-clad hand covered her mouth but her dark eyes were uncomfortably locked on Naru.

"Ammit isn't what we're used to dealing with. We had a theory about this from the start but after the research Madoka and Yasu have turned up with, that theory has become a fact."

"So what you're saying is that Ammit is some sort of…demon?" Monk asked, arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm afraid it isn't that simple. Every culture has their own accounts about the creatures that inhabit the darkness, and how to exterminate said creatures. Some creatures are only lower level demons that are easily disposed of. Those are the ones who cause chaos and are mostly driven by their baser needs. Ammit, on the other hand, is one of the most powerful upper level demons I have ever had the misfortune to cross."

He paused in his speech and every eye in the room was glued to him, baited breath being held in. Even Monk was silent and paying rapt attention to what Naru was saying. Mai herself was feeling a cloud of dread hanging over her. Every word out of his mouth just made the cloud heavier and heavier until she mentally felt her knees start to buckle under the weight.

The only other time they had come across some sort of demon was when SPR had taken on a case for the former Prime Minister to investigate the mysterious disappearances of young people around one of his homes. That case hadn't gone well, with one of their own almost being a victim. Even then they couldn't do anything to stop Urado. None of them were even associated with demons and the only thing that could be done was to burn the mansion down.

"Ammit isn't just any upper level demon either. In ancient Egyptian lore, Ammit was somewhat portrayed as a 'Devourer of Souls'. The Egyptians believed she was a funerary deity and a personification of divine retribution."

"A _deity_?" Mai said with astonishment. "You mean, like a _god_?"

Suddenly her theory about demons crumbled like old paper beneath her fingers. All she could think about was the last time they had gone up against a god. She raised shuttered eyes to Naru and all she could see was him lying in a hospital bed.

Naru's dark eyes flicked her way and he inclined his head slightly. "That's exactly what I'm saying." His gaze held hers longer than was necessary and caused a blush to crawl into her cheeks. She saw his gaze drop to her injured arm, the one he'd grabbed, and his gaze closed off.

"The Egyptians believed heavily in morality. It was a contest of good versus evil, with good always turning out victorious. They had an equity system after death called the Scales of Justice of Ma'at, the Goddess of Truth. Apparently whenever a person passed on, they were brought before said scales and their heart was weighed against an ostrich feather of Ma'at. If the heart was reasonably balanced against the feather the soul was passed on to the afterlife by Osiris, God of the Underworld. But if the heart was heavier than the feather the soul was then devoured by Ammit."

"That is some heavy shit right there," Monk muttered.

The enormity of the case was finally beginning to sink in. Mai had no doubt they were all thinking about what happened the last time Naru had gone up against a god. Monk shifted uneasily and Ayako was starting to rub her fingers together with apprehension.

"Is there any way to stop her?" John asked, his voice wrought with tension. "I mean, if Mai's dream is any indication to go by, someone managed to seal her in this house. If there's a way to trap her, there must be a way to stop her."

"You don't have to sugar coat it, John," Naru said, eyes closing. "We have to destroy her."

"When you say 'we' do you actually mean you?" Lin asked suddenly, anger tingeing his voice. "Because if that's the case I will haul you out of this house so fast you won't even have time to register it."

Naru's facial reaction was a blank mask but his gaze quickly shot to Mai before landing back on Lin. She could feel the tension growing between them, with Lin glaring at Naru and Naru pretending like he didn't give a damn.

"No, not me. Someone else."

Mai thought no one had caught Naru's quick glance but she was proven wrong when Monk took a step forward and slashed his arm through the air.

"No way. No bloody way! How can you even think of sending Mai to do something a grown adult wouldn't even consider doing?" he asked angrily.

"Once again, it's none of your concern." Naru's cold reply had more than one jaw dropping in the room.

"Are you insane? Of course it's my concern. I don't know what's gotten into you lately. You've been more than downright antagonizing and it's making me wonder if something is bothering you so much that it's warping your judgment."

Naru raised cold eyes to Monk and opened his mouth to no doubt deliver a stinging retort. Only he didn't get there.

"Stop it, the both of you," Mai said angrily. "What's gotten into the two of you lately? You're both usually nothing but politeness and yet every chance you get you guys are snapping at each other's throats. Get a grip on yourselves." She shot both of them disgusted looks. "As for Ammit, I'm the only one who can put a stop to her. Look, I've thought about it and I won't budge on this. Ammit may be a deity, a demon, whatever, but there is one way to stop her."

Mai took a deep breath and shot Naru a quick glance. His expression, as always, was unreadable, but he was staring back at her with a quiet intensity she felt slightly overwhelmed under. She knew he didn't want her to go through with what she had planned, but she also knew he wouldn't stop her. She appreciated that and was grateful for it. For all his faults, it felt satisfying that he was quietly supporting her on this.

Mai faced the others. They each had identical looks of disconsolation on their faces. It wasn't easy for her, telling the others who were like family to her that she was willingly putting her life in danger to stop Ammit. But it had to be done. It was a mantra she kept repeating to herself over and over again, hoping against all hope that eventually the words might seem true to her.

"We know Ammit can appear in our dreams whenever she wants to, right?" she started, looking each of them directly in the eye.

After their confirmation nods she continued. "She may be extremely powerful to do that, but she's also the most vulnerable there. I have no doubt that if I can lure her into my mind I can send her to the other side. If her soul, for lack of a better word, leaves her body, then she'll disintegrate into nothing."

"You don't know if that will even work, Mai," Monk said, holding out his hands in a placating manner. "Please see reason here. If you're wrong and you can't exorcise Ammit then who knows what she'll do to you before she absorbs your soul."

"I understand, Monk, believe me I do. But if I don't do this more innocent people will die. I won't have that on my conscious."

"How can you let her do this?" Ayako asked her beseeching gaze locked on Naru. "She's just a kid."

"I'm not a kid," Mai said. "Please let me do this. You guys know I'm the only one who can."

"She's made up her mind," Naru suddenly interrupted, eyes closed. "There's nothing I can do to stop her."

"No, you just don't want to stop her," Lin chimed in low voice.

Naru opened his eyes and pinned them onto Lin. "You're right. I don't. She's old enough to make her own decisions and experienced enough to know what's right and wrong."

Mai's heart swelled in her chest. Sure, Naru didn't exactly sound like the happiest person in the world right now, but the fact that he stood firm in the face of adversity strengthened her resolve. It made her believe she could do this.

"Maybe there's another way we could do this," Lin said quietly.

All eyes swivelled to him. His gaze was trained on the ground, eyeing the hardwood floor with suspicion.

"From Mai's vision we can determine that Ammit is buried somewhere beneath this house. We know that a Devil's Trap was placed over her grave. From what I know about those, they completely cut off a demon's abilities. Once one has been ensnared in it, they can't cross over or use their powers until the circle is broken."

He paused and waited for that to sink in. When it did a collective gasp echoed in the room. Mai instinctively knew what it meant. She had known deep down that the Devil's Trap was some serious magic and if Ammit still had free reign over her abilities it could only mean one thing.

"So you're saying the Devil's Trap hadn't been completed," Naru finished.

"Exactly. If it had, all those people she killed over the years would still be alive."

"Interesting. So one of the men who created the seal failed to finish it."

"That's the only explanation as to why Ammit has been active all these years. It still doesn't explain why she hasn't broken free of her grave. She could if she wanted to. So why didn't she?"

"If she wanted to…that's a very scary thought, Lin," Monk said. "Maybe she's trying to regain her former glory, so to speak. If she's been stuck in this house by choice she can't be all that powerful right now. I imagine her food source was cut off and with the limited amount of souls she absorbed, it somehow placed restrictions on her abilities."

"That makes sense to me," Mai said, clasping her fingers behind her back and staring thoughtfully into space. "If you think about it, the only time she's shown herself has been in my dreams. Maybe that's all she can do."

"That's an amateur thought at best," Naru said, shooting a dark glare her way. Mai clenched her teeth at his sudden change of mood and matched his glare.

"Excuse me but I don't hear you pitching in with any of your opinions."

"If you let me finish I can do just that. Just because Ammit has volunteered to show only that particular ability doesn't mean that's the only thing she can do. Underestimating your adversary is the most foolish thing you could ever do right now. Something so nonsensical is bound to get you killed."

"He's right, Mai," John said quietly. "You shouldn't assume dream hopping is the only thing she can do. It seems like she's completely aware of what we're doing here and she wants us to erroneously underestimate her."

"We should try finding her grave," Masako added. "Maybe if we can't completely exorcise her we can try completing the Devil's Trap."

"That's actually a better idea," Mai said with surprise, casting wide eyes toward the television medium. "I'm amazed no one else thought of that."

"I'm not just a pretty face, you know," the other teen said with arrogance.

"And she's back," Mai said, rolling her eyes.

"Can you complete a Devil's Trap, Lin?" Naru asked.

Lin nodded. "I can try. I also think it's a better idea to try first though. It cuts out putting Mai in any form of danger."

"So are we in agreement then?" Naru asked the room as a whole, his eyes landing on every individual, coming to rest last on Mai. "We locate the grave and finish what was started centuries ago?"

A chorus of agreement rang throughout the room and Mai felt strangely disappointed. Sure, she was relieved she didn't have to come face to face with one of her worst nightmares, but she had also been looking forward to testing out her latest ability. It was only natural that she would want to test her limits and Ammit had been the perfect subject.

"All right then. Lin, please see if you can get a blueprint of the house from Madoka and Yasu. The rest of you, prepare for the worst. Miss Matsuzaki and Miss Hara, please see if you both can amp up the protection charms for everyone. And make a double protection charm for Mai. She's probably going to need it."

Mai shot Naru a dirty look at that quip he managed to get in. She swore she saw a hint of a smile twist his mouth up before it was gone. It left her insides all soft and fuzzy. She even bit back a smile at his temerity.

"Monk, John, I'd like you two to go into town and get some equipment we can use to easily pull up wooden planks. Also pick up some cement so we can use it to complete the Trap." He glanced at Mai to confirm the materials used to construct the Devil's Trap. At her slight nod he inclined his head at the two young men. "Don't be too long. I'd like to finish this before sunset."

Monk and John exited the room, the keys to Monk's car in his hand. Lin was already on the phone with Madoka and was informing her of their plan. Ayako and Masako were sitting on the couch, busy writing up charms. Mai was left staring at Naru, wondering what was going on in his head. She was chagrined to admit she wondered that a lot and started to turn away from him when a freak gust of wind howled through the house.

Everyone in the room paused what they were doing and tensed as one. With that sign they knew Ammit was aware of what they were planning. The wind gusted stronger, causing the lighter objects in the base to tremble. In between the wind Mai caught a voice whose words made goose bumps rise on her skin and cause her body to shudder. Not even Naru's comforting hand on her shoulder could erase her current feelings at the sinister words.

"_I'm coming for you…"_

**So just to clarify, Ammit is an ancient deity the Egyptians believe in. She's usually portrayed as a demon with the head of a crocodile, the body of a lion/wild cat, and the hindquarters of a hippopotamus. She devours all souls who do not pass the Scales of Justice test. In this story, I've obviously added my own variation of who she is, and that she only absorbs the ghost-kissed. I've always been fascinated with Egyptian culture so I decided to make my first villain part of Egyptian history. I hope you guys enjoyed it :) **


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